Saroj Devi, a powerhouse in Telugu cinema, which shines in both duration and social drama

B Saruja Devi’s on-screen personality was a sense of cunning and timeless beauty that inspired her to filmmakers. She loved the depth with which she portrayed Karisma along with her characters, with which she inspired off-screen fashion trends in the 1960s and 70s.

Veteran actor, whose career spread over seven decades and more than 200 films in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Hindi, breathed his last in Bengaluru on Monday. She was 87 years old. Often referred to as the first female superstar of Kannada cinema, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Purskari also made a social drama along with Regal period drama in Telugu.

Telugu movie Buffs immediately recalled him from the 1964 film from the song ‘Chitpata Chinukulu Paduthu Want’, Eighma balamAnd presence in its presence Jagadikwearuni Katha,

Saroj Devi started in Telugu cinema with a 1957 film Panduranga MahatyamDirected by Kamalakara Kamamwar Rao, co-composed of NT Ram Rao and Anjali Devi, two years after their introduction of Kannada, Mahakavi Kalidas (1955).

She went to act in the director’s Shankar EarthquakeWhich was built together in Kannada EarthquakeIt is based on Kannada Natak of this name. While the Kannada film was led by actor Rajkumar, the Telugu version consisted of NTR and Akineni Nejseva Rao.

Saroj Devi in ‘Peli Kanuka’. Photo Credit: Hindu Archives

Although Saroj Devi navigated between Tamil and Kannada Cinema on a large scale, she felt her presence in Telugu cinema. He played the title character in the 1966 film ShakuntalaWas cast as Mandodari Shri Sita Ram Kalyanam (1961) and in Subhadra Srikrishnarjun Yudham (1963),

While his Regal Demonor made one of his favorite options for filmmakers to discover period films, Saroja Devi was also known for her work in social plays. Pelli Sandadadi (1959)Peli kanuka (1960), Dagudu Moothalu, Manachi Chedu And Pandanti Kaparam, to name a few.

An anecdote from the archives of HinduRelated to the production of 1964 film Dagudu MoothaluIt shows its popularity in the 1960s. During the shooting, Saroja Devi faced a ligament tear, and the sets ‘Mela Mela Melaga’ and ‘Adagaka Ikchina Manez’ had to disintegrate, in Madras, in Madras. This increased the cost, and producer Upanti Subba Rao traveled to Bangalore to meet Saroj Devi at her residence. On finding that his position was worse than his situation, he has said that he had left the idea of taking her place with Krishna Kumari. The songs were then shot in the area around Lal Bagh, Ulsor Lake and Cuban Park in Bangalore. Allegedly, 80,000 remuneration was paid.